Remote control propulsion and steering mechanism for model watercraft



July 10, 1962 v. STANZEL 3,043,052

REMOTE CONTROL. PROPULSION AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MODEL. WATERCRAFT Filed March 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 \l 'l 1 [A 34 l 1 5i 42 g:

l 2i //i 50 I I 4a I /i g a 1 4 V/C for Jfafize/ INVEN TOR.

July 10, 1962 v. STANZEL 3,043,052

REMOTE CONTROL PROPULSION AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MODEL WATERCRAFT Filed March 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m INVENTOR.

STANZEL REMOTE CONTROL PROPULSION AND STEERING MECHANISM July 10, 1962 v FOR MODEL WATERCRAFT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 14, 1960 V/cfor Jzanze/ INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofilice 3,643,052 Patented July 10, 1962 3,043,052 REMOTE CONTRGL PROPULSION AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MODEL WATERCRAFT Victor Stanzel, R0. Box 171, Schulenburg, Tex. Filed Mar. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 14,885 7 (Ilaims. (Cl. 46-243) .craft to follow a predetermined course. Thus, by setting the steering mechanism to cause the craft to turn, a course may beset which will bring the craft back to some location near the starting point so that it may be readily recovered. Propulsion and steering mechanism of this kind does not always work satisfactorily, however, due to such variable factors as changes in direction and velocity of the wind, water currents and wave action which at times may adversely affect the course of the craft. Moreover,

.failure of the power source located on the craft sometimes leaves the craft adrift at a place where recovery becomes very ditlicult.

The present invention has for an important object the overcoming of the above disadvantages of propulsion and steering of toy or model watercraft by the provision of remotely controlled propulsion and steering mechanism for such craft.

Another object of the invention is the provision of mechanism for propelling devices of the kind mentioned embodying a source of power which may be located remotely from the device and including an elongated power transmitting element forming a driving connection between the power source and the'device to be propelled.

, A further object of the invention is to provide a combined remotely controlled steering and propulsion mechanism for devices of the type referred to wherein the steering and propulsion of the device may be independently controlled by the operator.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a toy or model watercraft of a flexible cable connected in driving relation to the propeller of the craft and extending to a remote location, and means for actuating the cable to rotate the propeller, there being also means for connecting the cable to the craft at a location to permit the steering of the craft by manipulation of the cable.

The invention also contemplates the provision of steering mechanism for Watercraft which may be propelled from a source of power carried by the craft and by which steering of the c raft may be controlled from a remote location.

Another object of the invention is to provide remotely controlled propulsion and steering mechanism for watercraft embodying a flexible cable connected at one end to the craft and extending to a remote location, and having means for preventing kinking or tangling of the cable.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the same, when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale .illustrating a preferred embodiment of the combined re- FIGURE 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, showing details of the structure and arrangementof the parts of the electrically operated power source of the invention;

7 FIGURE 2a is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, on

an enlarged scale, taken along the line 2a--2a of FIG- URE 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

showing details of construction of the cable guiding and manipulating means; FIGURE 3 is a detail view, partly in cross-section illustrating details of construction of the driving and steering mechanism of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and showing the manner in which the same are connected to the propeller and to the craft;

FIGURES 4 to 8, inclusive, are views on a reduced scale, illustrating the manner in which the steering mechanism of the invention may be operated to direct the course of the watercraft;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view, similar to that of FIGURE 1, illustrating a somewhat diiferent form of the invention; V FIGURE 10 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in cross-section, and on a somewhat enlarged scale, illustrating a somewhat different form of 5 remotely controlled steering mechanism in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 11 is a side elevational view, similar to that of FIGURE 1, partly broken away and partly in cross section, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the steering control mechanism employed with the steering mechanism of FIGURE 10.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the invention is illustrated herein in connection with its application to a toy or model boat B, of conventional construction, which in the preferred form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 2a and 3, is provided with suitable propelling means, such as the propeller 10, rotatably mounted in the usual position for rotation beneath the surface of the water to propel the boat.

The propeller 10 is attached to one end of a flexible cable or wire 12 which extends through a section of tubing 14, suitably attached to the boat and forming a bearing in which the cable is freely rotatable. The bearing tube 14 extends forwardly and upwardly from the propeller 10 and at its upper end extends into a tubular upright or stanchion 16 suitably secured at its lower end to the deck of the boat at a point forwardly of the center of gravity of the boat.

The tubular upright 16 is preferably flexible and may conveniently take the form of a coil of Wire, and the flexible cable 12 stands upwardly through the upright and to a location remote from the boat and is enclosed in an outer flexible tube 18, such as a relatively thin plastic tube, whose lower end extends into the upper end of standard 16. The outer flexible tube 18 is of somewhat larger internal diameter than the external diameter of the cable, so that the cable is freely rotatable in the tube. A suitable source of power is provided for the purpose of rotating the cable 12 to drive the propeller 10, which may take the form of an electric motor 20, which is enclosed in a housing 22, mounted on one end of a battery. casing 24, of usual construction, as by means of a screw threaded cap 26 through which the housing extends,

whereby the housing may be removed for the purpose.

of removing and inserting batteries 28, such as those ordinarily employed in flashlights. The housing 22 has at its inner end a contact element 30 suitably positioned for engagement with the positive terminal of one of the batteries 28 and connected by a suitable conductor 32 to the motor 20, the motor also being connected by means of a conductor 34 to a contact element 36, positioned to be engaged by a switch member 38 which is also in enand batteries.

gagement with the negative terminal of another of the batteries 28; The switch element 38 may be'secured to the casing 24 in any convenient manner, as by means of V a rivet 4.0, and is formed with a lug 42, extending through a suitable opening in the casing in position to be depressed by the operator to move the switch into contact with the contact 36 to close the electrical circuit between the motor The housing 22 is preferably formed in two parts of plastic material adapted to beclampedto'the end of the casing 24 by the screw cap 26, and the cap 26 and casing 24 may also be molded of suitable plastic for convenience and economy of manufacture.

The shaft 44 of the motor may outer end of the'fl'exible cable 12, in any convenient manner, as by meansv of a suitable piece of metal tubing 46, which is soldered or welded to the shaft and which may be crimped, as indicated at 48, to the end of the cable.

An elongated tubular shaft 50 extends into and is attached at its inner end to an internal bushing 52 formed on the outer part of the housing '22, which shaft extends outwardly for some'distance beyond the housing in surrounding relation to the flexible tube 18, and carries at its outer end a tubular flexible guide member 54, through which the flexible tube 18 is extended.

The purpose of the tubular flexible guide member 54 "is to prevent sharp bending of the flexible tube '18 and flexible cable 12 at the location where the tube and cable emerge from the outer end of the shaft 50, whereby breaking. of the plastic tube and flexible cable is prevented. The flexible standard 16 is provided for a similar pelled.

be connected to the The boat B may, of course, be propelled by suitable I mechanism,-not shown, carried on the boat, such as an electric motor connected to the propeller 10 and provided with batteries for driving the same, and the boat may be provided with a standard 16' positioned in the same location as the standard 16, and to whose upper end a guide line 18 is connected. In this case, the guide line 18' may be attached to one end of a poleStl adapted to beheld by an operator to support and control the movements of the boat. g I

The form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES l, 2, 2a and 3 may be used in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 1 and as shown somewhat diagrammatically in FIG- 'URES 4 to 8 inclusive. In the operation of the invention,

' the boat thus floating on the water, the propeller 10 may be operated by closing the switch 38 or by the boat-carried source of power, and the boat may then be guided in its course through the water by tilting the boat to one side or the other by manipulation of the shaft 50 or the pole 59';

It will be readily apparent that because of the position of the upright 16 or 16', forwardly of the center of gravity of the craft, when the craft is lifted slightly by the guide 1ine,'it will-assume the position illustrated in FIGURE 5, with the bow of the boat somewhat elevated, and with the boat thus positioned, a light pull exerted on the guide line in a direction to tilt the boat to one side or the other, as best seen in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, will cause the boat 'to change course in one direction or the other, whereby the boat may be caused to move in various patterns and connected to the motor by suitable conductors 54 and 56, through the intermediation of a switch 58 and a flexible cable 60 attached to a pole 5G". The switch 58 may be .of the push-button type arranged to be operated by the'operator holding the pole, whereby the supply of current to the motor 20" is controlled. In this form of the invention, the flexible cable 60 may be attached to the boat by means of standard 16, whereby the movements of the boat may be controlled in the same manner as previously described.

Suitable means of conventional design, not shown, such as rotatably mounted electrical contacts, may be provided for the conductors ofv the cable 60, to prevent twisting of the cable during the operation of the boat. A further modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 10 and 11, wherein the boat is provided with additional steering means, such asthe rudder 62, which is mounted on the boatfor rotation about a vertical shaft 64, whose upper end is provided with a crank arm 66 connected to an operating shaft 68 which extends forwardly of the boat and is connected at its forward end to one arm of the bell crank 70, as by means of a pivot 'pin 71, which bell crank is pivotally attached to a supporting bracket 72, as by means of the pivot pin 74. The other arm' of the bell crank 70 carries a pin 76, which is engageable with the thread of 'a rotatably mounted Worm 78, carried by a rotatable shaft 80 rotatably mounted in a bearing 82, suitably attached to the bracket 72, and which extendsv upwardly through the deck of the boat. Atits upper end, the shaft 80 is connected to a flexible cable 12, as by means of an eyelet 84 to cause the shaft to rotate with the cable to turn the worm 78 in either direction, whereby the rudder 62 may be turned in one direction or the other. In this form of the invention, the boat has a standard 16" located in the same position as the standard 16, previously-described, somewhat forwardly of the center of gravity ofthe boat, and having at its upper end an eye 86 through which the'flexible cable 12" is rotatably extended. The flexible cable 12' is supported and operated by mechanism, such as that illustrated in FIGURE 11, comprising a tubular pole 150 having a handle portion 88 of generally U-shaped upon whose arms an actuator member 90 is rotatably mounted, which member extends between the arms of the handle and at its forward end extends into the tubular pole 150 for attachment to and through a flexible guide 94,.carried on the outer end of the actuator member 90, whereby the cable will be rotated by the member.

The form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 10 and 11 is operated as best illustrated in FIGURE 11, the

handle being held by the operator in one hand to 1 manipulate the pole to move the flexible cable in a manner 'form of the in'vention, suitable driving means, such as a propeller and electric motor, not shown, may be provided on the boat for'propelling the same.

It will thus be seen that the invention, constructed. in the manner described above, provides steering and propelling mechanism for model watercraft which is of simple design and by means of which the speed and course of the boat are easily controlled from a relatively remote location.

The invention is illustrated herein in connection with certain specific embodiments of the same, but it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only and that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a model boat of propulsion and steering mechanism therefor, comprising a propeller rotatably mounted on the boat in position to be submerged in the water to propel the boat forwardly when the boat is afloat, an elongated, flexible driving element connected to the propeller to rotate the propeller upon rotation of the element and extending to a location remote from the boat and means for rotating the element, said element having a rotatable connection with the boat at a location substantially in the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of and forwardly of the center of gravity of the boat to cause the boat to assume a forwardly and upwardly tilting position in the water upon the exertion of an upward pull on the element and means on the boat extending upwardly therefrom to a position for engagement with the element at a location spaced above the boat to exert a lateral tilting force on the boat upon the exertion of a lateral pull on the element.

2. The combination with a model boat of propulsion and steering mechanism therefor, comprising a propeller rotatably mounted on the boat in position to be submerged in the water to propel the boat forwardly when the boat is afloat, an elongated, flexible driving element connected to the propeller to rotate the propeller upon rotation of the element and extending to a location remote from the boat, means for rotating the element, means forming a rotatable connection between the boat and element at a location substantially in the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of and forwardly of the center of gravity of the boat to cause the boat to assume an upwardly and forwardly tilting position upon the exertion of an upward pull on the element and means on the boat extending upwardly therefrom to a position for engagement with the element in upwardly spaced relation to the boat to cause lateral tilting of the boat upon the exertion of a lateral pull on the element.

3. The combination with a model boat of propulsion and steering mechanism therefor, comprising a propeller rotatably mounted on the boat in position to be submerged in the water to propel the boat forwardly when the boat is afloat, an elongated, flexible driving element connected to the propeller to rotate the propeller upon rotation of the element and extending to a location remote from the boat, means for rotating the element, and means forming a rotatable connection between the boat and element at a location substantially in the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of and forwardly of the center of gravity of the boat to cause the boat to assume an upwardly and forwardly tilting position upon the exertion of a exertion of a vertical upward pull on the element, and means on the boat extending upwardly therefrom to a position in vertically upwardly spaced relation to said location for engagement with the element to cause the boat to move in a curved path upon the exertion of a pulling force on the element in a direction upwardly and laterally of the longitudinal axis of the boat.

4. The combination with a model boat of electrically powered propulsion mechanism therefor, comprising a propeller rotatably mounted on the boat in position to 6 be submerged in the water to propel the boat when the boat is afloat, an electric motor mounted on the boat and having a driving connection with the propeller to rotate the propeller, elongated, flexible electrical conductors extending to a location remote from the boat and connected to the boat at a location substantially in the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of and forwardly of the center of gravity of the boat to cause the boat to assume a forwardly and upwardly tilting position in the water upon the exertion of an upward pull on the conductors, an upright standard on the boat whose upper end is positioned for engagement with the conductors to cause the boat to tilt laterally about its longitudinal axis upon the exertion of a pull on the conductors laterally of the boat, said conductors being connected to said motor and to a source of electrical current to supply current to the motor.

5. The combination with a model boat of means for steering the boat comprising an elongated, flexible element connected to the boat at a location substantially in the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of and forward ly of the center of gravity of the boat to cause the boat to assume an upwardly and forwardly tilting position in the water upon the exertion of an upward pull on the element and means on the boat extending upwardly therefrom at a location for engagement with the element in upwardly spaced relation to the boat to apply a lateral tilting force to the boat upon the exertion of a lateral pull on the element.

6. The combination with a model boat of means for steering the boat comprising an elongated, flexible ele-.

assume an upwardly and forwardly tilting position in.

the water upon the exertion of an upward pull on the element and means on the boat extending upwardly therefrom in position for engagement with the element at a location spaced above the boat to cause the boat to move in a curved path upon forward movement of the boat upon the exertion of a pull on the element in a direction upwardly and laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the boat.

7. The combination with a model boat of means for steering the boat comprising an upright standard extending above and connected at its lower end to the boat and an elongated, flexible element connected to the boat at a location to cause the boat to assume an upwardly and forwardly tilting position in the water upon the exertion of an upward pull on the element and engageable with the standard at a location spaced above the boat to apply a lateral tilting force on the boat upon the exertion of a pull on the element in a direction upwardly and laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,531 Hansen Mar. 31, 1938 2,233,693 Clarke Mar. 4, 1941 2,439,054 Mosthof Apr. 6, 1948 2,805,349 Friedman Sept. 3, 1957 2,834,152 Lambert May 13, 1958 2,837,864 Bortfeldt June 10, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 884,770 Germany July 30, 1953 1,024,861 Germany Feb. 20, 1958 517,307 Italy Feb. 28, 1955 

